Marines Clear Tilt-Rotor V-22 Ospreys for Flight

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2000 -- The Marine Corps will resume
flying its V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft. Officials said
on May 9 that an examination of data from the crash last
month that claimed 19 lives did not indicate any mechanical
or software failures.

Marine Lt. Gen. Fred McCorkle, Marine Corps deputy chief of
staff for aviation, told reporters at the Pentagon that
investigators are focusing on a condition called "power
settling."

"The data show that the mishap aircraft was in a high rate
of descent at a relatively low forward air speed," McCorkle
said. "This can result in a loss of lift on the rotor
system. Power settling is a condition which can be common
to all helicopter flight and is now the main focus of the
investigation."

The MV-22 crashed during a noncombatant evacuation
evaluation mission April 8. The Osprey was one of four
flying from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. It crashed
at Marana Airport near Tucson.

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Jones made the
decision to resume flights and will be aboard the first V-
22 to carry passengers. Gen. Michael Ryan, Air Force chief
of staff, asked to accompany the commandant. Marine Corps
officials estimate the flight will occur in two to three
weeks.

The Marines will begin flying the engineering,
manufacturing and development test aircraft first, he said.
EMD aircraft are instrumented and flown by test pilots who
determine the parameters and limitations of the aircraft's
flight envelope, he said.

The Marines will phase in flying the production version MV-
22s. Initially, Ospreys will fly with only essential people
and then begin ferrying passengers again. McCorkle said the
aircraft has performed more than 40 troop-lift missions,
carrying more than 700 troops during earlier evaluation
flights.

McCorkle said the board continues to investigate the crash.
The board will look at effects there may have been from
aircraft flying near each other, the winds aloft at the
airport and other factors that could have caused the crash.

The Marines have four Ospreys now and will take delivery of
another shortly.